


Baking cookies and all that pish

by itzteegan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Baking, Cookies, F/M, Friendship, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 14:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19021687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzteegan/pseuds/itzteegan
Summary: After their rooftop conversation, Arya decides to teach Sera how to bake cookies properly.





	Baking cookies and all that pish

**Author's Note:**

> So, I found this sitting in my computer, I must have started it before Kinktober last year, and I'm not sure why I didn't finish and post it then as I only needed a few more paragraphs to round it out. *shrug* Well, here it is now. Enjoy.

The sound of giggling carried through the courtyard, a throaty chuckle following it just like Blackwall followed me. "Are you sure all of this is necessary?" he asked, his voice low so it wouldn't carry.

 

" _Yes_ ," I emphatically replied, currently juggling a fragile package of eggs. I had tasked him with carrying the heavier ones containing the flour and sugar we would need. Not that I didn't trust him, but my natural Elven agility beat just about anything, any day. My Keeper had lamented the fact that I'd developed magical proclivities, as she said I would have been an excellent rogue.

 

That was me, though. Subverting expectations. Just when someone thought they had me figured out, I'd turn their idea on its head. Perhaps that was part of why Sera and I got on so well. With me being Dalish, she'd thought I was one of those stuck-up types of Elves that she couldn't stand. But it didn't take long to show her that I was a different sort and we'd quickly become fast friends.

 

The Warden and I stole into the kitchens, only a couple of people stirring around there this time of day. It was ideal, really, and part of why I chose now to do this instead of another time. It was perfect. As we set all the ingredients on the counter, I checked and double checked all we had to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. Flour and sugar, check. Eggs, check. Vanilla extract and various chocolate bars to be chopped up, check. I sorted everything out, down to the smallest jar and container, and then fetched the bowls and utensils I would need. Stepping back, I took accounting of the supplies one last time, before I grinned. "There, that's everything." Turning to Blackwall, I winked, "Now it's just time for the star of the show."

 

He chuckled. "You need any help with that?"

 

"Nope," I replied, popping the last consonant. "I can fetch her myself. Just make sure nobody raids my supplies?"

 

At that, he straightened and nodded. "Of course, my lady."

 

I shook my head and ducked out of the kitchen. No matter how many times I corrected him in the fact that I wasn't a lady, he still insisted on using that particular title. We'd gotten to the point where I no longer even said anything about it, just accepted that's how he was going to address me and left it at that. Sera, of course, teased me relentlessly about it. But that was par for the course and I took it in stride. No sense in getting worked up about it, after all, there were far too many serious matters at hand these days. If a little laughter could be had, even at my expense, then I wouldn't deny anyone.

 

Speaking of Sera, she was exactly who I was looking for. I made a beeline toward her room, hoping she was in and hadn't taken a hunting trip out into the woods. She got listless often, and when she was like that, she either resorted to pranks or she went off to do something useful. And since there was a distinct lack of surprised shrieks and shouting going on in Skyhold, that meant she wasn't up to her usual pranking antics. Hopefully she hadn't already slipped off somewhere and was just in her room. As luck would have it, there was a telltale, almost rhythmic thudding sound that emanated from her room as I lifted my hand to knock on her door. I smirked as I rapped my knuckles against the wood loudly so that she would hear above her target practice, and sure enough I could hear her swear and wonder who was bothering her before she opened the door. Seeing me standing there, her eyes widened just slightly as she said, "Oh, it's you."

 

"Yes, it's me. Sorry to interrupt your target practice, but I have something for you."

 

"Something for me? Something good, I hope."

 

Nodding, I replied nonchalantly, "A job. An important one, too. Follow me?"

 

"Ooo, what do I need to bring? Bow? Knives? Bees?"

 

"Just yourself," I assured, working to contain the laughter at her enthusiasm. She seemed puzzled, but acquiesced, and she followed me as I lead her down and out of the tavern and across the Inquisition fort. On the way, she pestered me endlessly as to what exactly we were getting up to, but I deferred every question and sidestepped every attempt to get me to spill the beans. "You'll see soon enough!" I exclaimed as I opened the door to the kitchen, revealing the lone Warden standing watch.

 

He smiled as we both entered, nodding as he straightened up. "Ladies," he intoned before he bowed out of the room, leaving it completely empty save for Sera and myself.

 

Sera watched him leave and asked, "What was he doing here?"

 

"Just making sure nobody swiped our supplies."

 

"Supplies? For what?"

 

I gestured toward the counter where everything was laid out. "You said you wanted to know how to make cookies, right? Well, here's your chance."

 

Her eyes widened. "You ... you got all this stuff here ... just to make cookies with me?"

 

Nodding, I commented, "I figured it was about time to replace your pride cookies."

 

Sera's smile seemed a mile long. "Brilliant! I just hope you're better than me at this. Wouldn't do to have Inquisition cookies taste worse."

 

I laughed as I smacked her shoulder good-naturedly. "Oh, c'mon, don't you trust me?"

 

"About as far as I can throw you," she shot back.

 

I gasped in mock surprise. "Sera!"

 

It was her turn to punch my shoulder. "I figure I can toss you pretty far, squishy mage."

 

She was taunting me, though all in good fun. "Just you wait until you see what this squishy mage can do with some flour and chocolate."

 

I was surprised that Sera was patient enough to allow the proper, painstaking measurement of all the ingredients, but I found that if motivated, she could really do anything she wished. And the prospect of warm, yummy cookies was a pretty good motivator. Once we got everything measured and portioned out, I got her into chopping up the chocolate bars as I started incorporating everything, all under her watchful eye, of course. She snuck some bites of chocolate while she thought I wasn't looking, but I had gotten extra for that very purpose anyway. She added them all in as the last step and I got her to fold everything together. Scooping the batter onto the pan was somehow more difficult for her than she imagined, and she lamented that mine looked so much nicer and neater, but I assured her that taste was the most important factor for cookies. Everything else was just presentation, after all.

 

The wonderful smell filled the kitchen as we cleaned up, waiting for them to finish baking. Well, while _I_ cleaned up. Since, according to Sera, this venture was all my idea, I should be the one responsible for cleaning up. I stuck my tongue out at her but she simply laughed at me, and I dutifully cleaned the used utensils and bowls before wiping down the counter. There was no arguing the point with her, I would have ended up burning the cookies just trying to get her to help. And while it would have served her right, my own mouth was watering at the prospect of the deliciousness just waiting in the oven. I wasn't about to punish myself along with Sera.

 

Speaking of, when I finally removed the pan, I had to swat her hand away before she grabbed one of them. "They have to sit and cool down first! Unless you want a mouthful of molten lava."

 

"Hmmph. Wouldn't mind chocolate flavoured lava."

 

I chuckled. "Chocolate flavoured lava is still lava, and it will burn your tongue so badly you can't enjoy the cookie."

 

She sighed heavily. "I suppose you're right."

 

"I _am_ the cookie expert here."

 

It was her turn to stick her tongue out at me. "Don't let it go to your head."

 

Truth be told, we were both hounding for a taste, and it was only with great restraint and discipline – not to mention past experience – that made me hold off on tasting them. Sera paced throughout the kitchen, scowling, not exactly liking the wait time, but despite her displeasure, she submitted to my experience and knowledge. When it was finally time, she practically jumped off the walls in excitement, bouncing around from foot to foot as I loaded them all up on a plate, covered them, and took them to her room to enjoy in privacy. Krem eyed us as we stumbled through the tavern, giggling as we made for the stairs, but he only shook his head at us. Everyone was used to our shenanigans by now, and he was likely only happy that whatever we were doing, it didn't appear to involve him in any way.

 

As soon as we'd closed ourselves in her room, Sera ripped off the covering and shoved the warm, gooey cookie in her mouth. She moaned loud and long, her eyes almost rolling completely in the back of her head. "Hey, keep it down, will you?" I admonished. "I don't want anyone to think we're doing anything up here. Not like that, anyway."

 

She laughed, her mouth full of cookie. "What, worried about rumours reaching your sweet about us?" I scowled at her and she giggled again. "Don't worry, Maryden's songs are loud enough to cover us." I still eyed her as I bit down into my own cookie, eating it much more conservatively than Sera, who was already on her third. Seeing my expression, she sighed as she relented, "Fine, I'll save some cookies for your precious Warden. Call it a peace offering, yeah? That way, anything gets back to him, he'll know exactly what those sounds were for."

 

"Deal," I agreed, and we each used a cookie to toast the agreement.

 

"Mmmm," Sera moaned again as she took another bite. "I was right about chocolate instead of raisins. Bleh. Why did I ever choose raisins in the first place?"

 

Laughing, I countered, "Oatmeal raisin cookies can be good, but they have to be just right. Soft and chewy, not hard and crunchy, and full of cinnamon to spice it up."

 

"You almost make it sound good, you know."

 

"It _is_ good, if it's made right."

 

"Well I guess you'll have to teach me then, yeah?"

 

I chuckled as I replied. "I guess I will."

 

True to her word, she left half a dozen for Blackwall, and after covering them, I set out to find my Warden lover. He had helped with this whole venture, after all, it seemed only right to reward him. And while I could reward him in other ways as well, I knew he would also enjoy some of the fruits of our labour. A bonus, if you will. I knew he certainly wouldn't mind.

 

He was just putting a final coat of varnish on a finished toy by the time I made it to the stables. He heard me coming this time, for once, and smiled to see me enter. "Everything go well?" he asked.

 

"It went perfectly. Thank you for helping."

 

He chuckled. "Please, it was nothing."

 

"Oh? Then I suppose you don't want any of these, then?" I asked playfully, uncovering the plate to reveal the cookies still lying there.

 

"Well ..." he paused. "I suppose I would be remiss to refuse a reward, if that's what my lady is offering." Setting down the brush carefully, he picked one up, and a similar moan echoed through the stable. "You know, if you wanted to keep teaching Sera how to bake, I'm always available to help you carry in ingredients."

 

Setting down the plate, I couldn't help the snicker. "As if I wouldn't save you some."

 

"I'd rather earn it," he commented as he finished off his first one.

 

Cocking an eyebrow, I threw at him, "There are other ways you can earn it, you know."

 

He should have known something like that was coming, especially from me, especially considering what I'd said to him shortly after I'd recruited him, when we were back in Haven. But somehow it still caught him off guard and he sputtered just as he'd done the first time. It was adorable, really, and I bit my lip to keep the encroaching smile at bay as he regained control of himself. Flashing me a grin, he sauntered over to me, and I playfully backed up until my back hit one of the large beams supporting the stable. One of his hands settled on the wood just behind my head as he towered over me, a sight that thrilled me to no end, and as he leaned over, his voice was deep and husky as he murmured, "I think I could manage that." And then our lips connected, meeting briefly before his tongue worked mine apart, chocolate colouring his taste as he kissed me deeply, the world momentarily forgotten as we sank into each other.


End file.
